Do I need to have studied philosophy to receive counseling?

Absolutely not! While studying philosophy might make you more familiar with the style of thinking that we will engage in, it is my duty to act as your guide and therefore no previous knowledge is needed. Philosophy courses often tend to be overly concerned with abstract problems and not practical ones, and to that extent they don't always offer the proper tools to handle everyday issues. As such, when taking a philosophy course you usually learn what a number of philosophers have said about a specific problem, but don't necessarily learn how that problem applies to your life, or how studying can help you live a better life.